The Mariners have finally landed the impact bat they’ve been chasing, completing what they hope will be the final piece of their 2026 lineup puzzle.
Seattle announced Monday that it has acquired versatile infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals in a blockbuster three-team trade that also involved the Tampa Bay Rays. After months of searching, the Mariners believe they’ve found the perfect fit to elevate an already ambitious roster.
Trade Breakdown
Mariners receive:
- INF/OF Brendan Donovan
Cardinals receive:
- RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (MLB Pipeline No. 91 prospect)
- OF Tai Peete (formerly Mariners’ No. 11 prospect; now Cardinals’ No. 15)
- OF Colton Ledbetter (formerly Rays’ No. 24 prospect)
- Competitive Balance Round B Draft Picks (No. 68 overall from Seattle; No. 72 overall from Tampa Bay)
Rays receive:
- 3B Ben Williamson
The price to secure Donovan was steep. Seattle dealt away two recent first-round selections, a second-round pick, and a Competitive Balance Round B pick in the 2026 Draft (No. 68 overall). It was a clear statement of intent — the Mariners weren’t just shopping for depth; they were going all-in on a player they believe completes their roster.
“This is not a move we make lightly,” said Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. “It’s hard to imagine a better match for where our team is right now than Brendan. His offensive approach, defensive flexibility, steady production, baseball IQ, and character align perfectly with what we value as an organization.”
With Donovan in the fold, Seattle sees itself as a more balanced, dynamic club — and one poised to contend with the American League’s best in 2026.
In Seattle, the acquisition essentially ends a staring contest with St. Louis that had extended for much of the offseason. Donovan had long been a top priority for the Mariners’ front office, but it had not been able to reach a price point with the Cards on a return package. The clubs were in negotiations as far back as last season and then again shortly after the World Series and into the General Managers Meetings in November and Winter Meetings in December, per sources
Meanwhile, St. Louis has been reshaping its roster under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, and Donovan emerged as the organization’s most valuable trade chip during an offseason sell-off. That teardown has already seen established veterans such as Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Sonny Gray moved elsewhere. According to reports, reducing payroll took precedence over maximizing return on Donovan, which explains why the deal wasn’t finalized until less than two weeks before Spring Training.
At 29 years old, Donovan is expected to slot in near the top of the Mariners’ batting order while offering manager Dan Wilson added flexibility across the field. For now, he projects as Seattle’s leading option at third base, though that role could evolve depending on how Spring Training unfolds — particularly with young infield prospects Colt Emerson and Cole Young pushing for playing time.
A first-time All-Star in 2025, Donovan has spent most of his four-year MLB career at second base (225 games), but his defensive résumé extends far beyond one position. He has logged time at first base (30 games), third base (46), shortstop (14), left field (163), and right field (30). His glove already carries hardware, too — in 2022, Donovan became the first rookie in Cardinals history to win a Gold Glove Award.
Offense was just as big a draw for Seattle. Donovan owns a career slash line of .282/.361/.411 (.772 OPS), along with 40 home runs, 97 doubles, five triples, and 202 RBIs. Those numbers translate to 10.1 wins above replacement and a 119 wRC+ (with league average set at 100), according to FanGraphs. Even more appealing is his elite contact ability: a 13.5% strikeout rate, ranking 15th-best among 306 qualified hitters during that span. That profile makes him a natural fit for T-Mobile Park, one of baseball’s most pitcher-friendly venues.
Donovan also brings cost certainty. He avoided salary arbitration last month by agreeing to a $5.8 million contract for 2026, per a source, and will remain under team control for the next two seasons.
From Seattle’s perspective, this is exactly what makes Donovan such a perfect fit — a steady, proven presence who can serve as a bridge to the Mariners’ next wave of infield talent while still aligning with the organization’s long-term vision. Even with the departure of Ben Williamson, the move could actually clarify a clearer path to an Opening Day roster spot for Colt Emerson, whom MLB Pipeline ranks as the No. 9 overall prospect in baseball.
Just a day earlier at FanFest at T-Mobile Park, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander emphasized that Emerson, Cole Young, and Williamson were all expected to play major roles in the club’s 2026 plans. But for a team that came within eight outs of its first World Series title last October, the urgency was clear: the championship window is wide open, and the roster still needed one more reliable bat. Williamson ultimately became part of the price to secure that piece.
Seattle addressed first base early in the offseason by bringing back Josh Naylor on a five-year, $92.5 million deal (Nov. 17), but the lineup later lost key contributors from the 2025 core. Jorge Polanco departed for the Mets on a two-year, $40 million contract (Dec. 16), and Eugenio Suárez signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Reds on Sunday.
Donovan’s arrival now gives the Mariners an impressive total of five All-Stars from the past two seasons in their projected lineup, joining Naylor, Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, and Randy Arozarena.
Seattle’s path to acquiring Donovan became clearer over the weekend when the Giants, long rumored as a potential trade partner, shifted course and signed three-time batting champion Luis Arraez to a one-year, $12 million contract to handle second base. Earlier in the offseason, however, Donovan had drawn interest from several teams before St. Louis committed to a full-scale sell-off.
The appeal was obvious: Donovan’s affordable contract and positional flexibility. Unlike Arenado, Contreras, and Gray — all of whom carried no-trade clauses and hefty eight-figure salaries — Donovan is significantly younger and far easier to fit into a roster still blending veterans with emerging stars.
He’s also an above-average hitter capable of contributing all over the field, making him a more adaptable option for 2026 than Polanco or Suárez when factoring in the development of Emerson and Young. Both prospects are expected to get every opportunity to earn roster spots during Spring Training, with Young emerging as the frontrunner at second base and Emerson likely rotating across multiple positions.
As for Tampa Bay’s involvement, Monday’s deal marked the 16th transaction between the Mariners and Rays since Jerry Dipoto took over baseball operations ahead of the 2015–16 offseason.
The players and picks they gave up
Cijntje, who was just in Seattle to celebrate FanFest, was the Mariners’ first-round Draft pick in 2024, when he was taken No. 15 overall as an ambidextrous switch-pitcher out of Mississippi State. (The Mariners had announced on Sunday that the club was going to focus on the 22-year-old as a right-hander entering 2026.) He became the Cards’ No. 4 prospect following the trade.
While Hollander stated the club’s need for longer-term starting pitching depth, scouts have suggested that Cijntje’s ceiling is not as high as Ryan Sloan (Seattle’s No. 4 prospect) and Kade Anderson (No. 2). Anderson, whom the club selected with the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s Draft out of LSU, could be in the Majors as soon as late this season.
COMPLETE MARINERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
- Mariners Top 30 prospects
- 2025 prospect stats
- Draft pick stats
- Highlights
Peete was the No. 30 overall pick as part of the Mariners’ loaded haul in the 2023 Draft. He has put up a .724 OPS in 264 Minor League games, topping out at High-A last season. Originally an infielder, Peete transitioned to the outfield last season and showed the athleticism to stick in center field. He became St. Louis’ No. 15 prospect following the deal.
Williamson, the No. 57 overall pick in 2023, played in 85 games after making his MLB debut last April 15, and was immediately one of the best defensive third basemen in the league. But his roster spot became a casualty at the Trade Deadline, when the Mariners landed Suárez to play third base in a blockbuster with the D-backs. Williamson, who wound up finishing the season at Triple-A Tacoma, slashed .253/.294/.310 (.604 OPS) in the Majors.
As for the Draft pick, it’s just the second that Dipoto and Hollander have ever traded (the first being a Competitive Balance Round B pick to acquire reliever Gregory Santos in the 2023-24 offseason). Competitive Balance Round picks are the only ones that can be traded, and they can only be traded by the club to which it was awarded. The No. 68 selection was Seattle’s third-highest in the 2026 Draft, behind No. 24 (first round) and No. 65 (second round).
Dipoto and Hollander typically have had pause in trading eligible Draft picks. That they included one here — along with the three players who were high picks — underscores just how much urgency they felt to acquire Donovan.
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